As the group walked through the hall, they were ushered up the stairs.

The greeters adjusted their pace to match the three of them, watching Wu Hua climb the steps one by one.

He seemed to be struggling a lot, so he offered to carry Wu Hua up.

Qin Luo refused and picked up Wu Hua herself.

As the door to the VIP room opened, all the guests in the auction house turned to look.

Seeing that it was a middle-aged man and a very young child, who was also holding a baby, they all started discussing it curiously.

Qin Luo and Wu Hua paid no attention to these people. She first closed the half-closed door.

Then he and Wu Hua toured the private room!

A delicate painting hangs on the main wall.

Nestled amidst mountains and waters, shrouded in mist and clouds, it seems to invite one into a fairyland transcending the mundane world.

On either side of the scroll, two pots of lush green orchids are placed symmetrically.

They bloom quietly, emitting a faint, delicate fragrance.

The fragrance of ink mingled with the scent of ink in the room, adding to the elegance.

A round table was placed in the center, covered with a light green silk cloth.

Several exquisite tea sets were arranged neatly on the table, and a pot of hot tea was steaming gently, filling the air with its aroma.

The pastries on the side also looked exquisite and delicious, with an enticing color.

Around the round table, several carved wooden chairs quietly awaited the guests to take their seats.

The chair back is inlaid with delicate ivory carvings, and every detail exudes elegance and refinement.

In the corner, there is a guqin (a seven-stringed zither), its seven strings clearly defined, seemingly waiting for a kindred spirit to gently touch it.

The entire private room, from its layout to its decorations, exudes an extraordinary and refined elegance.

Before the two had finished admiring the view, there was a knock on the door of the private room.

Old Wen quickly opened the door, and then the steward, Lao Wu, entered with a group of servants.

They were carrying a booklet and plates of exquisite pastries.

The fifth steward handed the booklet to Qin Luo.

"This is the catalog of all the items up for auction today. The pastries were specially made by Mr. Yuan as a thank you to Zai Zai for the dried fruit, which he really liked!"

The servants placed the items on the table, and Qin Luo bowed to the fifth steward in thanks.

"Thank you!"

Wu Hua ate until her mouth was full of pastry crumbs, but she still remembered to thank them.

"Thank you, Grandpa and Fifth Uncle!"

Then he ate the pastry in his hand in one bite, and rummaged through his little cloth bag.

He then took out two small packets of beef jerky and handed them to the fifth steward.

"Fifth Uncle, this was also made by my brother, it's super, super delicious! You should each have a pack!"

The fifth steward beamed with joy at being addressed as "Fifth Uncle." He took the oil paper package and patted Wu Hua's little face.

"Okay, thank you, little one!"

He then said goodbye and left.

Chen Shi (7:00 AM)

With a clear, ringing copper bell, the auction officially began.

An elderly man dressed in a brocade robe slowly walked to the front of the stage; he was the auction house's chief auctioneer.

His every move exuded an air of authority that could not be underestimated. The old man coughed lightly.

His voice was deep and powerful, instantly attracting everyone's attention.

"Distinguished guests, tonight we will have the privilege of appraising and bidding on several priceless treasures, ranging from lost ancient books to rare and precious artifacts, each carrying an extraordinary story and value..."

As the old man explained, one treasure after another was revealed.

Sometimes it's a yellowed ancient book, and sometimes it's coral from the deep sea.

Or perhaps it's a priceless treasure from a foreign land, even containing the relics of eminent Buddhist monks.

After each treasure was displayed, guests began to place bids, creating a lively atmosphere of competition.

Qin Luo and Wu Hua were almost asleep when it was finally their turn to receive their items.

The two of them instantly perked up, their eyes widening several times over.

The old man first displayed Qin Luo's six pieces of mutton-fat jade.

Those jade pieces were exquisitely carved, extremely smooth and lustrous, radiating a soft glow.

It makes you want to hold it and play with it after you've seen it.

The old man slowly spoke.

"This jade belonged to the royal family a thousand years ago. These six pieces were made from the same piece of material and were carved by the emperor for his six sons. Each piece symbolizes a different power! The starting price is 600,000 taels of silver, with each bid increasing by 10,000 taels. Bidding begins!"

Qin Luo and Wu Hua gaped in astonishment upon hearing the offer.

The two were utterly incredulous; there were countless such jade spaces.

Besides what Fan Xing and Xia Beinian gave, there was also a jade mountain given by the Bird and Beast Mother.

As the old man made his bid, the bidders frantically raised their prices.

Ultimately, it was acquired by the Nie family, the richest family in Hanyun County, for 1.7 million taels of silver.

Qin Luo kept picking at his ears and kept asking Wu Hua questions.

"Sweetie, am I hallucinating?"

Wu Hua covered her mouth with her small hand and laughed.

"Hehe, no! We're going to get rich!"

Old Wen assumed the two were talking about today's deal, and offered his congratulations as well.

"Congratulations to the two young masters! The one who just won the bid for the jade is the head of the Nie family, the richest family in the country. I'm sure he'll offer a good price for the rest of the items as well!"

Qin Luo was delighted to hear this and started chatting with him.

"Then I'll take your good wishes. By the way, what are you bidding on? I didn't see you bidding."

Old Wen blushed again upon hearing this.

"I came here for Yushu!"

"Is someone in your family sick?"

Old Wen nodded rapidly.

"Yes, the young master of the family is ill, so the head of the family sent me here. Since we don't have much money, we can only try our luck!"

"Oh~ So how much silver have you prepared?"

Old Wen took out the silver notes from his pocket.

"A total of eight hundred taels. The house in the county hasn't been sold yet, and this is all the head of the family can afford!"

Qin Luo didn't look down on him when he said that.

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